Coopers Brewery rolls into summer with biggest marketing campaign in 160 year history

Australia’s largest independent family-owned brewery Coopers is rolling into summer with the biggest marketing campaign in its 160-year history developed by independent agency TABOO.

The campaign focuses on ‘the roll’, the unique ritual which unlocks the full flavour of a Coopers beer and presents its signature cloudy appearance.

Every Coopers goes through a secondary fermentation process, leaving sediment to settle at the bottom. By gently rolling the bottle, can or keg before opening, the full flavour and consistency of a Coopers is unlocked.

To turn the time-honoured ritual into common knowledge, Coopers partnered with TABOO, to ensure Aussies on either side of the bar are getting the most out of their Coopers.

Given the significance of the message and to ensure as many people enjoy Coopers the way it should be, ‘The Roll’ campaign will be the biggest integrated marketing effort the brewery has embarked on in its 160-year history.

The campaign’s hero film (produced by HOOVES, directed by Jason Perini) follows a bartender (Aussie actor Mark Winter) on his journey to work where his dedication to serving the perfect Coopers manifests in humorous and unexpected ways. The toe-tapping ‘Roll On’ soundtrack, composed for the campaign by Smith and Western has been turned into a 2-minute version that will be available on Spotify.

To amplify the idea and reinforce the ritual, an AR-enabled multi-player game created by immersive technology firm UNBND, challenges users to roll their Coopers along a bar and into the ‘Full Flavour Zone’, for the chance to win a share of the $25,000 prize pool.

Says James Mackinnon, managing director, TABOO: “Attaching a ritual to a product can unlock enormous value for both brand and consumer- particularly when it connects to a unique and compelling product truth. Coopers’ age-old brewing process has organically created a ritual that is distinct and ownable– we wanted this campaign to explain and encourage the behaviour in a fresh, interesting, and not-too-serious way for Aussie drinkers.”

Says Kate Dowd, national marketing manager, Coopers: “Coopers loves the roll; it is visceral, unique and creates brand memory for our drinkers. We want to get all drinkers rolling this summer to their local bottle shop or pub. We are looking forward to sharing this exciting, socially led campaign with our loyalists and new drinkers around Australia, with a strong focus in NSW.”

The integrated campaign has launched nationally and will run over Summer, kicking off with the :30 film in cinema and appearing online, alongside the augmented reality game, all supported by digital, social and OOH, through to podcast sponsorship and an influencer campaign. All serving to build awareness, engagement and participation in the unique ritual of the Coopers Roll.

Client: Coopers Brewery
National Marketing Manager: Kate Dowd
National Campaign Manager: Lucy Noblet
Trade Marketing Manager: Jacqueline Whybrow
Social and Digital Manager: Aaron Child
Social Media Coordinator: Grace Swift

Agency: TABOO
Managing Director: James Mackinnon
Senior Account Director: Henrietta Corley/Ane-Marie Dabo
Account Director: Olivia Fabris
Strategy Director: Tatum Ambler
Group Strategy Director: Kurt Hately
Social Media Manager: Josh Stuart
Lead Creative: Ryland Summers
Lead Creative: Tom Fitzgerald
Lead Designer: Dane Falkström
Designer: Trent Bucknell
ECD: Nick Jamieson
Ass. CD: Steph Kitchin
Agency Producer: Melanie O’Rourke
Interactive Producer: Hannah Clearly

Film Production: Hooves
Director/Writer: John Pace
Director: Jason Perini
Producer: Gabrielle Pearson
Music: Smith and Western

Game Production: Unbnd
Managing Partner: David Loughnan
Executive Producer: Leah Yeung
Interactive Producer: Nathan Trevarthen

Media Agency: KWPX
Managing Partner: Nat Morley
Senior Media Manager: Maddy Papilion

PR Agency: Tide PR
Managing Director: Stacey McArdle